Two men in the front of the car — the driver, Andrew Walter Persaud, 22, of Ocala, and Nicolaas Hans Bryon, 22, of Belleview — were taken to Shands at the University of Florida in Gainesville in critical condition.

Troopers said speed was a factor in the crash. The speed limit on the roadway is 55 mph.

They said the Civic was heading east on County Road 464 at Midway Road at 2:22 a.m. when the driver lost control. The car veered to the right and traveled onto the south shoulder of the roadway.

The car continued traveling on the grassy shoulder, which was slick from overnight rain. Then the car sideswiped a tree, spun counterclockwise, slid in an easterly direction and struck a second tree, which broke the car in two.

The front half of the car continued onto the Heather Island shopping center parking lot and came to rest upside down.

Both Persaud and Bryon, who were not wearing their seat belts, were thrown from the car.

The rear portion of the car remained by the tree with the three occupants inside. The men, who also were not buckled in, died on scene.

Troopers said the distance between the sheared portions of the vehicle was approximately 75 feet.

Debris was scattered throughout the parking lot. A tow truck driver cleaned up wreckage from the mangled car.

Bryan Hanks and his wife, Jamika Hanks, said they were driving home when they saw smoke and thought a building was on fire.

As they approached the smoke, the couple said they noticed what appeared to be bodies on the side of the road and stopped.

Bryan Hanks, a minister at Holy Band Deliverance Center in Ocala, described a gruesome scene.

One of the men tried to talk, he said. “I told him don't talk, just listen.” Hanks said he began praying for all of them.

“I've never seen nothing like that before.”

Throughout the day, mourners and well-wishers visited the site and dropped off flowers and consoled each other.

Cleveland Robin — an uncle of Nicolaas Bryon, the Belleview man who was critically injured — was among those who stopped by.

“It’s a big shock. It’s devastating. He never really had a chance to settle down and enjoy the training he received,” Robin said.

He said his nephew graduated from Johnson & Wales University’s College of Culinary Arts in Miami a few months ago and had been working at a country club in The Villages for about a month.

“He was a good kid. Very motivated, very ambitious,” Robin said.

Andy Baker — the father of Eric Baker, the Summerfield man who died at the scene — described his son as “a tremendous kid.”

Eric Baker was just three months from graduating from the College of Golf at Keiser University in Port St. Lucie. His goal was to become a professional golfer.

Andy Baker said Eric was “a good kid, always happy” and that he had been very proud of him.

“I’m still in shock and still can’t believe it,” the father said. Andy Baker said he believed his son was on his way home and that his car was parked at a house just minutes away.

Troopers said it’s unknown if alcohol was a contributing factor in the fatal wreck. The investigation is ongoing.

The deaths were the sixth, seventh and eighth traffic deaths in Marion County this year.